1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to Gatling type guns, and more particularly to such a gun which can fire in both directions of rotation of its gun barrel rotor.
2. Prior Art
In U.S. Pat. No. 125,563 issued Apr. 9, 1872 to R. J. Gatling, there is shown the classic modern revolving battery gun. A stationary housing encloses and supports a rotor assembly which has a plurality of gun barrels, and a like plurality of gun bolts. Each bolt has its own firing pin and mainspring. As the rotor turns in an invariable direction, each bolt is traversed longitudinally by a stationary elliptical cam track in the housing. As the bolt is traversed forwardly, its firing pin is captured to the rear by a stationary cam track in the housing, compressing its mainspring until the bolt and the barrel reach the firing position, at which position the stationary cam track releases or sears the firing pin.
More modern Gatling type guns are shown by R. E. Chiabrandy in U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,341, issued Apr. 30, 1968; R. G. Kirkpatrick et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,611,871, issued Oct. 12, 1971, and R. M. Tan et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,221, issued June 12, 1973. In each of these guns the rotor turns in an invariable direction.
In the GAU-8 gun as carried by the A10 aircraft, the rotor turns in one direction to fire rounds, and turns in the opposite direction to clear unfired rounds back into the supply conveyor. A firing/safing cam which is adapted for use in the GAU-8 gun is shown by R. R. Snyder et al. in U.S. Ser. No. 058,359, filed July 17, 1979 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,325.
In U.S. Ser. No. 230,250 filed Feb. 2, 1981 D. P. Tassie shows a gun which may be driven and fired in both directions of rotation. Tassie provides a firing/safing cam having three dispositions: one permitting firing in one direction of rotation; another permitting firing in the other direction of rotation; and yet another safing against firing in either direction of rotation. These dispositions are achieved by means of a pivotal element which is controlled by two wedging elements.